BOTH WERE RIGHT .

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 183, 1 August 1908, Page 5

BOTH WERE RIGHT .

THE DISREGARDED SIGNAL. ANOTHEB INCIDENT CLOSED. i 1 CReceived 8.2.5 a.m.) ' LONDON. July 31. ( } In the House of Commons Mr Reginald VleKenna (First Lord of the Admiralty) informed Viscount Castlereagh that the | Admiralty were satisfied that Admiral Lord Charles Beresford's signal to the . cruisers' Good Hope and Argyll to per- . form a certain evolution during the I North Sea manoeuvres would not have involved danger to the vessels, but that i Rear-Admiral Percy Scott, who ■was in charge of the Good" Hope, was justified in turning his ship the other way, I believing that the order involved risk, i Mr. MeKenna stated that Admiral j Beresford had so informed Rear-Admiral I Scott at the time. The statement was received with cheers. ] On -July 7 a correspondent furnished the 'Times" with an account of a strange occurrence in connection with the operations of the Channel Fleet during the North Sea manoeuvres last; week. Admiral Beresford signalled the j cruisers Good Hope (14,100 tons) and; Argyll (10.550 tons) to perform an evo-! lution, which, if obeyed, would have brought the vessels into collision. The Argyll obeyed the signal, but Rear-Ad-miral Sir Perc-* , Scott, aboard'the Good, Hope, signalled his doubts of Aβ tc- ! curacy of the signal, and refrained from obeying it. The newspapers advised the j Admiralty to take a decisive step in regard to Lord Beresford and the Naval authorities. The "Times" said that unless Mr. McKenna (Fir3t Lord of'the Admiralty) was able to assure the Souse that the naval discussion was greatly exaggerated, and there was no disunion in th« navy, he was bound to apply a drastic remedy regardless of individual personal susceptibilities. In other words, said the •Times.' , Lord Charles Beresford. must submit or resign. His paramount duty was to act ac a shining example of discipline and subordination to i constituted authority. Next day the j '"Standard" stated that Admiral Lord Charles Beresford inquired why R.earAdmiral Sir Percy Scott had disobeyed his signal to the cruisers Good Hope and Argyll to perform an evolution, which, it was stated, would have brought the vessels into collision. The junior Admiral replied that the evolution might have been dangerous. To this Lord Beresford signalled in reply: '-Quite correct to disobey." It was generally hoped that this incident will lead to a reconciliation between the two factions, and terminate the existing naval scandal.